AKIPRESS.COM - In a bid to reduce dependency on Russia, Turkmenistan’s gas will reach Europe via Turkey, based on an energy cooperation agreement, reports New Europe.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul met with his Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov in Ankara last month. After the meeting, Gul told reporters Turkey will deliver Turkmen gas to European markets. He did not go into any details.

What is clear, however, is that Turkmen gas flowing through the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) will be a boon for Turkey, which currently relies on Russia for 60% of its natural gas. The TANAP pipeline is under construction and is scheduled to be operational by 2018.

With 32 trillion cubic metres of natural gas reserves (12% of the world’s natural gas), Turkmenistan is the fourth-largest natural gas producing country in the world.